Smokin' Blues

Over the years, Mark T. Small has honed his distinctive fusion of bluegrass flatpicking and Delta blues guitar styles as a solo acoustic performer in venues across the U.S. Smokin’ Blues reflects the eclectic mix of material he brings to these sets, as well as his virtuosity and sense of fun as a performer. His willingness to get creative can be heard in songs as different as Tampa Red’s “Sell My Monkey” (a piano-centered tune adapted to guitar) and Rufus Thomas’ “Walkin’ the Dog” (an R&B classic stripped down to its gritty essence here). St. Louis Jimmy’s “Goin’ Down Slow” is fleshed out with crisp picking and teasing tempo shifts, while Charlie Patton’s “Stone Pony Blues” is rendered with rhythmic dexterity and conversational ease. Small really cuts loose on “My Daddy Was a Jockey,” growling his way through John Lee Hooker’s suggestive lyrics while keeping up a relentless boogie groove on guitar. The Rev. Gary Davis’ “Lamp Trimmed & Burning” is spiced up with razor-sharp slide work. Closing the set is “American Medley,” a seamless interweaving of “America the Beautiful,” “Take Me Out to the Ball Game," and “Yankee Doodle Dandy.”